THE POMAHAKA INQUIRY.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 17, 9 October 1894, Page 2

THE POMAHAKA INQUIRY.

This was *he subject of a good deal of discussion in the loboiea on Wednesday, cocae* quetit apm the delivery of th« speeches of " Mr ttcobia Mackenaie and Dr. Fitobett, and I ! have been able to get a reliable account of i eotne of the evidence that was given previously Ib appears that Mr ficobie Maeker.sie only pioduced two witnesses— namely the inspector of the Union Back and a Mr Sttveo. son, *ha manged tbe Wairuna property adjoiniog Poaiiui&ka. I hear that bita there vutneßsea* evidence was very damaging to the Government side of tbe question.. U appears that Mr Douglas began negotiating with the Government for the sale of the laud immediately af tec he bud received four* teen <Uyt>' notice from tbe Union Bank tr> pay up L9,QQO, which was tbe amount of the mortgage on the pioperty. Dr Hitehett** ; . line of cross-examination was to make out that tbe bank weie realising on % good ■ecurities in order to transfer tbe wpual to Australia. The bank's inspector, under examination by Mr Sojbie Mackenzie, admitted : that tbe mortgage was only for LS.OW),.. LI.OCO being mtt by other securities, an*, that tbey were oalling up the , moneybecause Pomahaka was a baa security at that amount. Tbe property vas making a yearly loss of some hundreds of pounds, and in their opinion would not aell in the raaiket, while Mr Douglas had failed to raise the money elsewhere on it. In answer to a question by Mr Mackenzie, tbe inspector admitted tbat tin bank were anxiou* for tbe safety of the LB.OOO. bub would not have been flo had they known that the Government were prepaid to give L 18.600 lor tbe land. Mr , Stevenson deposed that the land was j.odf t sour, and cold ; that its carrying capacity was a sheep to an acre and a»half, nnd tbat the stock did not do well on it. The place might possibly be worth 30a an aore» but be would not himself give that frr i», and that it would take all its time to return 5 per cent, on 20s, My iufoimaticn that Mr Scobie MeckensiUi «u»de a went . impression in nis speech to tbe Committee is confirmed, by both Bides. He dropped all the minor con* ! siier. tions and dwelt on the main arguments,, which, when they were all summed up, made a very heavy indictment— " an uawwwmbte one," as some think. He also dwelt on all the 6UBpicious circumstances, such as the; destruction of the Dcuglas-Kitchie cotteipondegce and the telegram ef Mr Bitcbie which went a missing from the file* On the other band, Dr Fitcbctt was ye»y disappoint, ing. He defended the, genuineness of tbe famous petition on the g»bund that the names attached were those of bona fide resident?, and maintained that the butoiag at the correspondence was a {tfoof of innocence. Even the Government parly admit that Mr Scobie Maokenaie got completely the better of the argument.—* Slat's ' correspondent,